Holly, jolly... July!

Just a quick note to say that you should check out the loveliness over at Sew, Mama, Sew's Christmas in July. They'll be featuring several projects and designers from Fa La La La Felt (including some of my faves), which hits shelves early next month. Should be lots of fun, and it may be enough to put you in the mood for hot cocoa - though it's pretty unlikely in this extremely hot "mountain weather" here!

antique bar redux

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned the dreaded furniture-makeover-bug that was plaguing me. I finally succumbed to temptation... here's what I've been busy with while I've been neglecting my poor little blog (sorry about that, by the way).

First, I found this cool antique bar at the local Habitat for Humanity store. I was actually, believe it or not, in the market for just such an item. So maybe it was fate....

Combine that with my love for all things dark teal and my intense desire to cover something with tile and you get this little number, which looks right nice if I do say so myself.

I was initially planning to do something cool - plus signs, anyone? - with the tile pattern on top, but decided to pare down. Not sure the urges have been fully satisfied... sometimes you just get a bug! I'm thinking about taking an upholstery class this fall. Oh, the dark teal furniture I could make!!!

pardon the interruption

Gosh that month went by fast. Sorry for the silence on my part... I swear I was busy with things! First there was a weekend in the mountains (with the brindle squad, of course!).

Then some canoeing, some kayaking, some creek swimming...

And then I was involved in the taxing task of... drumroll, please... turning thirty! Now I'm not the type of person who gets too hung up on numbers, but it did seem like a fine excuse to get myself a fancy present. And fancy it is! Meet my new camera. After literally almost two years of research, I settled on this bad boy. It's, in a word, friggin awesome. And I had to have a fun new project to photograph... This blackbird mini was for a friend. I love how the new camera captures all those perfect imperfections! More fun to be had, I'm sure.

love for tea towels! (in print!)

Before working on my projects for this book (Craft Challenge: Tea Towel), I hadn't yet expanded my fabric horizons; most of the time, I feel pretty overwhelmed by all the glorious fabric options at my local stores, online, and, my own stash. But I kinda fell in love with tea towels and vintage fabric in general. There's something about the authentic kitschy flavor they bring to a project that new fabric just can't fake, even the vintage-inspired stuff. I had two projects in the book:

Fabric Jars

Pup Pack

The jars are my favorite, especially since they're kinda useful. Useful and pretty - that's my new shtick!

I pledge.... (and gratitude)

Have you seen Rossie's post about process? Of course you have. I love everything about this idea... the story that happens between the stitches, the magic that occurs during the final stitch or a way-out decision you make last minute that brings everything together. It's hard to take time to relish the process, I think, when we're all driven by the final product. But this pledge is a good nudge to slow down, and I can appreciate that. I'm also totally infatuated with the drawing in Rossie's blog badge... (over there, in the right column).

I really don't know what it is about kelpies that draw me to them. I think they must be part of the mid-century modern design genre, but I just never tire of them. Have they been a design crutch? Yeah, probably, but there's something wonderful about doing the same thing (kelpies, birdy appliques based on my tattoos, plus signs)... and it always seems to lead somewhere creative. That little blog badge led two particular places, one directly and one with colorful little bits....



I'll be headed one of these directions soon. Part of the pledge deals with design inspiration, and rightly so. I think this can be a tricky discussion for the online community and for myself as a quilterly type. Sometimes ideas just pop into my head, and I worry that I picked them up somewhere from someone subconsciously. Sometimes I see something and it's more like "man, oh, man... gonna have to make me that exact same thing."

I'm personally okay with it when people riff off stuff I've done. I think it's actually one of the best feelings to have inspired someone creatively. But it's always nice when that is acknowledged. And that's made me think that I need to be better (in a totally non sappy, non cheesy kind of way - not my strong suit!) about who inspires me on a daily basis, especially since inspiration is part of the process. I'm talking Malka, Victoria at the Silly Boodilly, Jacquie over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio, Rossie, Jess at Urban Patchwork (okay... I'll just go with everybody in the Common Threads quilt bee).

There are more, I'm sure, but what's your list look like?

urban home goods swap - sent!

This swap's been on my to-do list for a while. What a perfect excuse to buy some of Malka's fabric, and then, of course, I got a wee bit nervous about cutting into it. It was so excellent to work with, especially since I knew my (yet unnamed) swap partner was a fan. I hope she likes it!

Take a peek at what Brioni (flossybossy) made for me: serious mind reader! More swap awesomeness here!

start of something good: pluses and minuses

Pluses and minuses... how I love thee! Seriously geeking out over these blocks. I made the one on the left and then couldn't help putting it together when Rossie's block arrived on Friday. I've got plans for a few more myself, but the fact that there will be something from everyone in the group is so exciting. Aren't virtual quilting bees cool?!?